


Hind Sight

by chaosmanor



Series: The Gift [13]
Category: Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-18
Updated: 2003-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:34:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmanor/pseuds/chaosmanor





	Hind Sight

Elrond was half way across Rohan, riding hard across the empty plains, when Sauron fell. He felt the earth tremble beneath Lasbelin's hooves, and reined her in, then dropped to the ground and pressed his ear to the turf.

He could hear the earth singing beneath him, and he looked towards the horizon and saw the wind blowing the dark clouds away.

Elrond knelt for a moment and felt tears sting his eyes as he whispered a prayer of thanks to Elbereth. He reached beneath his robe and clutched Vilya where she hung around his neck. It was over, Frodo had succeeded.

Lasbelin neighed and nudged his shoulder as he knelt and he reached up and patted her flank. "I can feel it too, my love."

He stood and stroked Lasbelin's neck, then leapt back onto her and urged her onwards.

 

The sentries met him the next day as he crossed the Anduin at Cair Andros and he accepted the offer of an escort to the great camp. The land had changed since he had last ridden across this land three millennia ago, after Gil Galad had fallen. His heart had been broken then, his life shattered, or so he had believed, but he had lived on through another Age. There were forests now, where he had remembered plains, and streams cut through the land where none had flown, but the escort led him on.

 

He found Aragorn kneeling beside Frodo and Sam as they slept in a pavilion. Aragorn seemed unchanged to him, despite the insignia of the White Tree and the Seven Stars that he wore, and Elrond embraced him when he stood to greet him. For a moment, Aragorn was Estel again, and Elrond his foster father, and Elrond was proud of what his child had accomplished.

Elrond knelt beside the two hobbits and passed his hands over their bodies, then rested his hands on each of their foreheads in turn and spoke words of elvish, then rose to his feet. He motioned for Aragorn to join him outside the tent.

"I would be grateful for your opinion of Sam and Frodo. I have been worried they have been touched in some deeper way than the physical by what they must have gone through," said Aragorn.

"Sam will make a full recovery, and Frodo will certainly recover physically. However, Frodo must have been harmed by carrying the ring, and I cannot predict how his mind and heart will have been changed," responded Elrond.

Elrond drew away from the tent containing the sleeping hobbits and said softly to Aragorn, "I didn't travel here just to heal, I came here to speak with you."

"I suspected as much. I am hungry and thirsty, as you must be too from your travels. Shall we collect some food and drink, and find somewhere quiet to talk?" said Aragorn.

 

They found themselves a glade amongst the trees, where the birds sang and the grass was soft, and it was possible to forget the battle ground only a short distance away.

Aragorn faced Elrond with some trepidation. He had been dreading being confronted by Elrond about breaking his betrothal, and had not expected it to be so soon. However, there was nothing of censure or disappointment in Elrond's manner. Indeed, he seemed weary and troubled, rather than angry.

Elrond sat in silence, watching the birds in the trees and composing himself. Finally he broke the silence. "Aragorn, I need to talk to you about Arwen, and about your relationship with her," he said, in a voice heavy with regret. "I realise you must be blaming yourself for ending the relationship, but I need to tell you something that will change that." Elrond took a deep breath and continued, "When Elladan and Elrohir wrote to me, they said they had mentioned their doubts about Arwen to you." He paused, and Aragorn nodded. "I have confronted Arwen, and she has admitted magically entrapping you." Elrond stopped, unable to go on for the tears in his throat.

Aragorn listened in stunned silence to Elrond's words. He had never seriously considered the twin's accusations, he had just been thankful that Elrohir and Elladan had remained friends with him.

Now, hearing Elrond say that Arwen had admitted the entrapment, he realised the implications. "All the time that I loved her, that was a lie?" he finally said. "She made me feel like I did?" Aragorn hid his head in his hands, fighting back a deep sense of betrayal. "Do you know how much was real?" he finally asked Elrond, lifting his head from his hands.

Elrond shook his head. "I had problems getting her to admit the truth. I doubt that she will tell me any more, no matter how I force her. This does mean that you are freed completely from your vows, as they were tainted to begin with. And there is no element of blame attached to you beginning a new relationship before being released from the previous one." With that, Elrond reached into a small pouch on his belt and then handed back the ring of Barahir, the precious heirloom of Aragorn's house.

Aragorn held the ring in his hands. "Where is she? Has she traveled West already?"

"Arwen is in Lorien with Galadriel. We will all travel together. Were you considering talking to her before she left?" Elrond asked.

"No. I do not think I could bear it," replied the man, shaking his head.

Elrond nodded in agreement. "Galadriel, of all elves, can show Arwen how to live on, in spite of foolish actions. And Arwen will find ease in the West, and whatever has darkened her mind will be lifted."

Aragorn nodded his understanding and sat in silence for many minutes, considering the ring of Barahir that now rested again upon his smallest finger.

Elrond sat in silence too, then raised his head again. "Tell me of your thoughts," he said.

"I would not have made it through this journey without Legolas," Aragorn eventually said.

Elrond looked closely at Aragorn's face, reading him. "Will you tell me about this? I know it seems intrusive, but I see a hint of a purpose in what you have experienced. I suspect Gandalf has the same ideas too, and I'll compare opinions with him later, when I find him."

Aragorn said, "Gandalf is supervising the clearing of Mordor, but is expected back this evening, as are your sons. And, yes, I will tell you what happened, if it is important. You must know that I expected anger and disappointment from you."

Elrond nodded. "Initially, I was furious with you, but after reading the letter from the twins that arrived at the same time as yours, and then talking to Arwen, it became clear that it was my daughter I should be angry with, not you."

Aragorn sighed and said, "I will tell you about when the journey became difficult for me after Gandalf had fallen. He had not confided in me about his intended route, or indeed, his intended destination. It was clear before Moria that the Ring had a grip upon Boromir. And the hobbits were woefully unprepared for the journey, and were paralysed by grief after Gandalf fell.

"When we rested in Lorien, I felt my spirits fail, and began to lose hope. After Amon Hen, after Boromir had tried to take the Ring, and had died. After I had let Frodo and Sam go alone towards Mordor because I was unable to protect them from myself. After Pippin and Merry had been captured by Uruk Hai; and Legolas, Gimli and myself were desperately and hopelessly chasing them across Rohan; that was when I nearly failed. I was exhausted, it was clear the pursuit was pointless, all hope seemed gone, and dying began to seem easy.

"That second night in Rohan, I despaired, and then I woke towards the end of the night, and found an angel, a messenger from Elbereth, in my arms. At least that was how it seemed at the time. Legolas had fallen asleep with his head resting on my shoulder and one arm was around me. I held him close, and sometime before I fell asleep again, hope returned, and strength."

Elrond looked closely at Aragorn's face. "Do you think Legolas will talk to me about what has happened?" asked Elrond.

 

Legolas stood as Elrond entered the tent where Sam and Frodo lay sleeping and bowed respectfully.

Elrond could feel Legolas' apprehension, and nodded in return. "Come, walk with me," he murmured, and held the tent flap open.

Legolas walked through the camp beside Elrond, uncomfortably aware that he was Arwen's father. Elrond caught his arm as they passed the last of the tents and said, "Will you speak with me?"

"What about?" Legolas asked cautiously. Elrond did not seem like an aggrieved father, but Legolas was still acutely concious that he had been party to the breaking of Aragorn and Arwen's vows.

"Do not be anxious. I am trying to understand what has passed between Aragorn and yourself. I have spoken to you once of my involvement with Gil Galad, of how I told him of my love under the shadow of battle. Will you tell me what happened to you?" Elrond sat down on the bare ground and motioned for Legolas to sit beside him.

"I do not know what to say to you."

"In Rohan, Aragorn woke to find you holding him."

Legolas nodded, then let his hair fall forward around his face to hide his blush.

"Why did you hold him?"

Legolas pushed his hair back behind his ears and spoke. "My heart was grieved by the loss of Boromir and Gandalf, and I believed that Merry and Pippin were dead too. I felt that we had failed, that I had failed, and …" Legolas trailed off, searching for the words for how he had felt. "I felt compelled by my own overwhelming need, by my weakness, and I reached out for Aragorn, even though he was asleep. I took the comfort I needed without his permission."

Elrond reached out a hand and rested it gently on Legolas' arm for a moment. "Aragorn nearly fell that night. All that saved him was waking to find you with him. Did he never tell you?"

"No. We have never spoken of that night."

"Arwen magically entrapped Aragorn." Legolas hissed through his teeth involuntarily, and Elrond nodded in agreement. "Yes. And I begin to see the damage she might have done by her actions. I must speak with Gandalf about this, but I begin to see things more clearly now. Go now, Aragorn will be looking for you."

Legolas stood and looked down at Elrond and said, "Thank you," and walked away, knowing he was leaving Elrond thinking of his king who had fallen not so far away from where he was seated.

* * * * * * *

Legolas felt Aragorn shuddering around him, felt his hot liquid coating his hand, and pressed his body against Aragorn's urgently, moaning as his own orgasm overtook him and he spilled deep in Aragorn's body.

He pulled out of Aragorn gently and smiled when Aragorn rolled over and slid his arms around Legolas. Legolas smeared his hand coated with Aragorn's cum across his chest. "Do I smell enough of you?" he asked.

Aragorn laughed quietly. "I never thought I would aspire to keeping an elf in need of a wash." Aragorn stroked Legolas' back, where he lay beside him. "Legolas, you know I love you, don't you?" he whispered.

"Yes, I know." Legolas touched his face. "I love you."

"Close your eyes."

Legolas complied, and heard Aragorn rustling their discarded clothing.

Aragorn picked up Legolas hands, one at a time, stroking each palm softly, feeling each finger. Legolas sighed with pleasure at the touch, his heart full from the tenderness in Aragorn's rough, callused hands. He felt Aragorn sliding a ring onto the middle finger of his right hand.

"Open your eyes," he said.

Legolas did so, and looked at a mithril band on his finger. The band seemed to be chased around with pattern, but he could not see clearly in the dim light, and the tracing was very worn. He looked at Aragorn with awe on his face.

Aragorn said, "It is Barahir's ring, which Luthien wore, and it is yours until you leave Middle Earth. All I ask is that you give it to my heir, when you go. It is all I have of any importance to give you, apart from my heart."

Legolas slid his arms around Aragorn, tears running down his face.

Aragorn whispered into his ear, "We have never spoken of this, not whilst the threat of Sauron was in the Middle Earth, but he is gone now, and there is a future. Will you stay with me, for my life?"

"Yes, yes my love," Legolas replied, his voice roughened by emotion. Aragorn's face was wet too.

"I have already broken one set of vows. I can offer you none."

Legolas pulled away, "But you must have an heir, you must marry."

Aragorn said, "I have been thinking of that, and I know there are women who only lie with other women. I'll look for the mother of my children amongst them. I suspect I need not even marry, as long as I acknowledge any children as mine."

******

 

Gandalf found Elrond on the edge of the camp, towards dawn, seated with his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. "You mourn," Gandalf said, sitting beside Elrond.

Elrond lifted his head wearily. "I do."

"You will be with him again. He is waiting for you, waiting for you to travel West."

Elrond nodded. "Yes, and I will soon. You and I must speak. I have traveled here because Arwen entrapped Aragorn magically. Elrohir and Elladan told me, and Arwen has admitted it."

Gandalf stared at the stars and said, "I had no idea. I have no memories of ever knowing. You mourn for your child as well as your lover."

They were silent and the stars had moved in the sky before Gandalf spoke again. "I was furious with Aragorn when I found out that he had betrayed Arwen. I saw his broken vows as a weakness that Saruman or Sauron could exploit."

Elrond said, "He nearly fell in Rohan. Legolas was there for him."

They were silent again and the sky began to lighten and the stars faded, until only Earendil was still visible, and Elrond watched his father.

Gandalf finally said, "Do you remember one evening in Imladris, before the Council, a Maia passed through the dining hall?"

Elrond nodded and lifted an eyebrow. "That was the first night Legolas was present."

"Yes."

* * * * * * * * * *

 

"Gimli, are you busy?" asked Legolas.

"No. Not at all. I have been speaking to the engineers about the load bearing capacity of the temporary bridge across the Anduin. They really are very clever builders. But we have finished."

"Come and sit by the river where it is quiet."

Gimli followed the elf, puzzled by his lack of composure.

"I need to talk to you about several things. I'm going to be staying in Gondor. Aragorn has asked me to," said Legolas, smiling.

Gimli grinned broadly back at his friend, whose eyes were shining with happiness.

"And he's given me a ring," said Legolas, holding out his right hand.

Gimli reached a finger out to touch the ring. "Mithril," he said. "And very old too. It takes forever for mithril to burnish like that."

Legolas nodded. "It is very old. How well do you know history? Do you remember me telling you the story of Beren and Luthien?"

"Yes, and I listened to an impossibly long song about them whilst I was at Imladris. Why?"

Legolas took a deep breath and said, "Luthien wore this ring. Which was given to Barahir by Finrod, grandson of Finwe, who was Galadriel's grandfather too."

"But that was a story, from a very long time ago."

"Barahir, the mortal who first wore the ring, was Beren's father, and Aragorn's forefather. The ring is a family treasure."

There was a long pause, during which the river flowed and the birds sang.

Legolas spoke again, and his voice soft. "But I also want to talk about something else. When Aragorn dies, I will leave Middle Earth immediately. I will not be able to bear to be here. Will you come with me on that journey?"

"To the Undying Lands? I cannot. Dwarves, like Men, cannot go. You know that."

"Perhaps you can. Unless you will be unable to be parted from your children and grandchildren?"

"I will not marry. You are not the only one to have lost your heart on this journey."

Gimli looked at Legolas, who was staring at him intently. Legolas spoke again. "What would you give to gaze upon her face one more time before your death?"

"You must know the answer, Legolas," replied Gimli, tears filling his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. "I would give everything."

"Then come with me, and by Elbereth's grace, you may be given a glimpse. And if you are denied that, and Aule, who you call Mahal, escorts you directly to your final place, then you have tried."

"I will journey with you, though my travel be in vain," said Gimli, wiping his face, then grunting in surprise when Legolas embraced him.

******************

Elrond touched Aragorn on his shoulder. "May we speak alone?"

"Yes, lord Elrond."

Elrond led Aragorn away from the crowded reception onto a balcony overlooking the White City. "I wish to speak with you one final time before I leave. Gandalf and I believe we understand what has happened. We believe now you were intended by the Valar to face the Quest with Legolas beside you, and Arwen prevented that."

Aragorn watched the flags flutter above the city and said, "I wanted him from the moment I first saw him."

Elrond nodded. "He was to be beside you, for strength and comfort. When you woke holding him, we believe the Valar guided him there, made him love you, placed him in your arms. In spite of all the magic binding you to Arwen against your will."

Aragorn looked at Elrond in puzzlement. "So, if Legolas had not acted, if I had failed that night, Arwen's interference would have cost Middle Earth dearly?"

"Yes. A heavy price to pay for an obsession." Elrond embraced Aragorn. "I will say goodbye now. I am proud to count you as one of my children."

Aragorn took Elrond's hand and kissed his knuckles. "I am proud to have honoured the blood that flows through both of our veins."

* * * * * * * * **

Elrond found Legolas in the stables grooming Lasbelin and talking quietly to her and he stood in the shadows for a while, knowing that amongst the elves of the Woodland Realm, grooming someone else's horse was a sign of respect and honour.

Legolas stepped back from braiding Lasbelin's mane and noticed Elrond watching him. He bowed silently.

Elrond stepped forward and stroked Lasbelin's neck, and she nuzzled him in turn. "Legolas, I was with Gil Galad for a few short days. Treasure every moment with Aragorn."

Legolas ran his hand across Lasbelin's back. "Every moment."

"And I will see you again, in Valinor." Elrond embraced Legolas briefly then said, "Thranduil has no idea who you really are, does he?" Legolas shook his head, and Elrond smiled and said, "Other people do."

* * * * * * * * **

Legolas found Aragorn on the balcony overlooking the city, slid his arms around Aragorn from behind, rested his chin on Aragorn's shoulder and said, "You're not going to expect me to dance with all the ladies of the court, are you? Because I've had enough of that."

Aragorn rested his hands over Legolas' where they rested at his waist. "Definitely not. I'm planning on inventing a whole new set of protocols."


End file.
